Apr 08 2008
Celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday
Through a grant administered via Cornell Cooperative Extension in Chautauqua County, the High School English and Social Studies department at the Hewes Center will be receiving 20 novels titled Lincoln at Gettysburg. This is in celebration of Lincoln’s 200th birthday and will include his famous address at Gettysburg. Our High School students will be able to study the writing of Lincoln in the Fall of 2008. This will be a joint venture that will be exploited instruction-ally to expose students to the wealth and foundations of this Nation, its democracy, sacrifices of her people and sheer brilliance of our founding fathers.
I remember reading the Gettysburg address when I was in High School and have always marvelled that so many folks take so easily this nation and its democracy for granted. Having lived under the specter of a fledgling democracy still very much in its infancy, I for one have always marvelled at the richness of this country’s government and political foundations. The opportunity to expose our students to further teaching and study of this subject, is so personally enriching for me. None of this would be possible without the enthusiam and support of our English and Social Studies teachers - Jim, Cindy, Phyllis and Greg.
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John Dewey is quoted as saying: “The aim of education is to enable individuals to continue their education … (and) the object and reward of learning is continued capacity for growth. Now this idea cannot be applied to all the members of a society except where discourse of man with man is mutual, and except where there is adequate provision for the reconstruction of social habits and institutions by means of wide stimulation arising from equitably distributed interests. And this means a democratic society.”
And several books offering differing points of view:
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong is a 1995 book by James Loewen.
A Young People’s History of the United States, an illustrated, two-volume adaptation of A People’s History for young adult readers (ages 10-14) (2007) by Howard Zinn.
Another view of Mr. Lincoln involves his triumph over failure.
He failed at business @ 22; defeated in his run for state legislature @ 23; failed again at business @ 25; suffered the death of his childhood sweetheart @ 26; had a nervous breakdown @ 27; was defeated for a congressional nomination @ 34; elected to Congress @ 37; lost the renomination to congress @ 39; defeated for Senate @ 46; defeated for the Vice-presidency @ 47; defeated for Senate @ 49 and at the age of 51 became the President.
This as well is an important message and understanding about success and failure.